Over 530 company executives earn more than 100 million yen in 2017: Akahata survey

July 1, 2018

The number of company executives earning more than 100 million yen in 2017 exceeded 530 for the first time. This was shown in an Akahata survey released on July 1.

The Akahata survey is based on listed companies’ financial statements for the business year ending in March 2018.

More and more executives receive higher pay due to the Abe government’s policies favoring large companies and inflating stock prices. This makes a striking contrast to stagnant wages which lead workers to economize on living expenses.

The number of executives with compensation of over 100 million yen was 22 for Mitsubishi Electric, the highest among companies surveyed, topping 20 for four consecutive years. The 22 persons were awarded a total of 3.29 billion yen, up 720 million yen from the previous year.

The figure for Hitachi was 18, up from the previous figure of seven. Hitachi Chairman Nakanishi Hiroaki, who was appointed as the chief of the Japan Business Federation in April, earned 243 million yen. Hitachi was followed by Fanuc and Tokyo Electron, ten for each.

The highest-earning official was former Sony CEO Hirai Kazuo. He obtained 2.71 billion yen, including basic compensation of 244 million yen and a retirement allowance of 1.18 billion yen. The second and third highest earners were Softbank Vice Chairman Ronald Fisher and Softbank Executive Vice President Marcelo Claure, who received 2.01 billion yen and 1.38 billion yen, respectively.